Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (2024)

The Recipe Rebel / Dinner

written by Ashley Fehr

4.92 from 689 votes

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Servings 4

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Last updated on February 1, 2024

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This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn’t believe it only has just a few ingredients! The perfect easy crockpot chicken recipe for busy weeknights!

If you’re looking for more crockpot chicken breast recipes, check out this Crockpot Creamy Garlic Chicken or this Crockpot Tuscan Chicken!

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (2)

Reader Rating
Why we love this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe:
Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Ingredients:
How to make Creamy Tomato Basil Crockpot Chicken Breast:
How long to cook chicken breasts in the crockpot?
Can I use half and half or milk?
What kind of tomato pasta sauce do I need?
Tips for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Recipe

Life is busy and I’m busting out all the easy slow cooker, one pot and Instant Pot recipes to keep us sane! This Crockpot Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is well-loved here around the dinner table.

Chicken is such a versatile protein so we always have a stash in the freezer!

This slow cooker chicken recipe comes together in no time with just a handful of ingredients that we usually have on hand — which makes it a win in my books!

The creamy tomato flavor combo is always a hit, and we love this chicken over a plate of spaghetti but it can really be a stand alone meal with a side salad if that’s your thing!

Reader Rating

“So easy and delicious! Followed the recipe exactly. 3 hours and was so moist. Served over spaghetti with fresh green beans Picky husband and foodie son went back for seconds!” — Liz

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If you love this recipe, you might enjoy this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast or this Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings — they are both easy Crockpot meals!

Why we love this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast recipe:

it’s a Real Life recipe: it’s easy to prep, mostly hands off and the family loves. We all need more of that!

it’s a slow cooker win: with a lot of slow cooker recipes, I find you sacrifice either flavor or texture or both. With this chicken you dump and go, and the sauce is the perfect consistency when it’s done and the flavor is awesome!
it’s quick to prep: being a dump and go slow cooker, you don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen, which is a plus on busy weeknights!

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Ingredients:

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (4)

Chicken breasts: we always use chicken breasts for this recipe but boneless, skinless chicken thighs would also work well. If you choose bone-in chicken the cook time will increase significantly.
Tomato pasta sauce: this is simply a tomato sauce that you would use on pasta with herbs and seasonings, i.e., a marinara or something similar. This is not tomato paste. Choose your favorite well-seasoned brand!
Diced tomatoes: If you don’t like the chunks of tomato you can sub this out with an additional cup of tomato pasta sauce.
Garlic and seasonings: I’ve kept things simple, but feel free to experiment if you prefer. Add some red pepper flakes if you like things spicy!
Cream: I recommend heavy cream or evaporated milk in this recipe. I find that they have the lowest chance of curdling when cooked with the acidic tomatoes. I do not recommend low fat cream or milk, but you are always welcome to try!
Corn starch: A little corn starch helps to thicken our sauce. You can swap this out with flour if you don’t have any.
Fresh basil: fresh basil can be hard to find in the cooler months. Basil pesto is my favorite swap because it adds more of that fresh flavor than dried basil.

How to make Creamy Tomato Basil Crockpot Chicken Breast:

This is a simple overview to help guide you! Scroll down to find the detailed recipe in the pink recipe card.

Stir together sauce, tomatoes and herbs.
Whisk the corn starch into the cream.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (5)

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (6)

Add the cream to the slow cooker and stir.
Add the uncooked chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (7)

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (8)

How long to cook chicken breasts in the crockpot?

Not overcooking slow cooker chicken breasts is the key to having juicy and flavorful chicken.

I usually recommend 3 hours on low — this might be a little less if your chicken breasts are small or a little more if your chicken breasts are large.

If you’re cooking on high, check the internal temperature at 2-2.5 hours and add time as needed.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (9)

Can I use half and half or milk?

Low fat dairy has more of a tendency to curdle.

For that reason, the addition of the tomatoes and the long cook time, I prefer not to take the chance. My exception is low fat evaporated milk, which I find works really well in slow cooker recipes.

You are always welcome to try it!

What kind of tomato pasta sauce do I need?

Choose your favorite brand of tomato-based pasta sauce, i.e., marinara sauce or something similar.

You’re looking for a relatively smooth and well-seasoned tomato sauce, rather than a can of plan crushed tomatoes.

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breast [VIDEO] (10)

Tips for making this slow cooker chicken recipe:

Don’t overcook it — I find 3 hours is plenty for the usual size of my chicken breasts. I recommend checking the temperature at 2.5 hours for smaller breasts, and 3 hours for larger breasts, and adding time as needed.
I made this recipe in a 4 quart slow cooker — if you want to double it, I suggest a 6 quart slow cooker (I have both, and use them for different things!).
I really, really love using slow cooker liners. I will gladly pay the 50 cents or whatever they cost to not have to wash that beast!
Please always, always check the temperature of your chicken with a meat thermometer before serving just to be safe! All slow cookers cook differently.

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Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken

written by Ashley Fehr

4.92 from 689 votes

This Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is SO easy and flavorful, you wouldn't believe it only has a few ingredients! The perfect easy dinner recipe!

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Review

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

▢ 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs (398 ml)
▢ 1 cup tomato pasta sauce
▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
▢ ½ teaspoon dried basil
▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
▢ ½ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
▢ 2 tablespoons corn starch
▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
▢ 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add tomatoes, pasta sauce, garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, basil and pepper to a 3-6 quart slow cooker. Stir.
Whisk together cream and corn starch and add to the slow cooker.
Add chicken breasts and press down into the sauce.
Cook on low for 3-5 hours, until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. The exact cook time will depend on your slow cooker — a fuller slow cooker will take longer to cook, so a larger one will cook faster.
Stir in fresh basil and serve over pasta, rice, or with a salad and veggies!

Notes

*Some sauce was removed from the pictures in the slow cooker to show detail. The recipe makes plenty of sauce for pasta!

Ingredients and Substitutions:

Chicken: this recipe will also work with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, or try it with chicken meatballs, sausages, or another cut for something unique!

Tomato pasta sauce: choose any tomato marinara-style sauce you like. The more flavor in the pasta sauce, the more flavor your chicken will have.

Diced tomatoes: if you don’t like the chunks of diced tomatoes, I recommend just swapping with additional tomato sauce.

Cream or evaporated milk:Heavy cream or evaporated milk will work best because they do not curdle. Please do not use regular milk or a light cream.

Herbs & seasonings: feel free to adjust the herbs and seasonings to your tastes. Like it spicy? Add some cayenne or red pepper flakes!

Fresh basil: we make this recipe all year round but fresh basil can be impossible to find. I like to swap with basil pesto for that fresh basil flavor.

Nutrition Information

Keywords slow cooker chicken breast, tomato basil chicken

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Megan j says
April 15, 2024 at 10:03 am
Do you use frozen or thawed out
chicken breast?
Reply
Noelle says
April 14, 2024 at 8:38 am
I am doing chicken thighs no bone. How much I should cooked it?
Reply
Kim says
April 10, 2024 at 3:10 pm
I am making this tonight and I only have thin chicken breasts how do I adjust the cooking time?Thanks.
Reply
Missy PT says
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April 9, 2024 at 3:06 am
I don’t have heavy cream/evaporated milk in the house nor pasta sauce. Is there anything else I could use? Thanks
Reply
- Tessie says
  April 11, 2024 at 7:09 am
  Find a different recipe.
  Reply
  - Claire says
    April 12, 2024 at 8:18 pm
    Took the words right out of my mouth!
- Amy says
  April 12, 2024 at 8:22 pm
  You could use a car to go to the store and buy it.
  Reply
Sandy says
April 6, 2024 at 7:13 pm
Delicious! The whole family loved it! Served over rice. Thanks!
Reply
Joann says
April 4, 2024 at 3:45 pm
It’s delicious!! Family loved it.
Reply
Chris R says
March 31, 2024 at 8:43 pm
I have someone who can’t eat dairy. Do you think oat milk would work?
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  March 31, 2024 at 10:02 pm
  Hi Chris, I would start with trying to use a plant based heavy cream before trying to use oat milk. I think it would make it more watery than intended. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
  Reply
Corinne says
March 16, 2024 at 5:48 pm
Easy and super tasty! Thank you!
Reply
Meghan says
March 4, 2024 at 9:45 pm
Why did you change the recipe? The old recipe tasted better in my opinion.
Reply
j says
March 4, 2024 at 2:49 pm
can i use frozen chicken breast
Reply
Ann says
February 26, 2024 at 8:43 pm
Quick, easy, and very good. We especially liked the creamy sauce. Before serving I added some freshly grated parmesan with a bit of fresh basil; served with salad, roasted broccoli, and bread. Delicious!
Reply
Vanessa says
February 26, 2024 at 11:46 am
I am sure you know whether or not you can put aluminum foil over the top of the chicken loosely and add potatoes or rice or vegetables on top of that aluminum foil has this been done I’m sure it has. Thank you for your reply.
Reply
CC says
February 12, 2024 at 1:15 pm
If all I have is half and half, could I just add it near the end?
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  February 19, 2024 at 9:50 am
  Hi CC, I do not recommend low fat cream or milk, but you are always welcome to try!
  Reply
Jocelyn Lindo says
February 11, 2024 at 7:38 pm
This was delicious! And I love that it was a dump, set, and forget recipe. No cutting required! (Except for fresh basil at the end.) I doubled the recipe and following it exactly. I did find the sauce to be too runny for my liking. It was like soup, not thick like Alfredo, which is my preference. So I just made a quick roux on the side and whisked it into the sauce to get the thicker consistency. Not sure if it was just watery for me because extra water in the chicken breast? This is only the second time I’ve used my slow cooker. Love this recipe! Will be adding it to my favorites. Thank you!
Reply
Randy says
February 9, 2024 at 11:10 pm
Really a great recipe! Flavorful and simple to prepare, Served with a Caeser salad and crusty bread…. fire!!
Reply
Annie S says
February 7, 2024 at 11:28 pm
Made this today. Followed the recipe exactly other than combo chicken breasts & chicken thighs. Winter in Wisconsin so no fresh basil, but used basil pesto (strained to eliminate the oil). Perfect Recipe! Loved! Will definitely make again. I wasn’t sure at the store whether or not to purchase evaporated milk or heavy cream … seemed like evaporated milk was artificial so opted for heavy whipping cream … perfect … no curdling & great consistency with the sauce. Served it over a small bed of Ziti Rigatoni. My husband & I both loved it! Will definitely make again. GREAT FIND! It’s often times difficult to find a truly winning online recipe. Thank you Ashley! I look forward to perusing your other recipes!
Reply
Lorraine says
February 7, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Is it supposed to be a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes? The can in the video looks bigger than a 14oz can. I used a 14oz can per the ingredients and my sauce looks less red than the video. Thanks!
Reply
Maggie says
February 7, 2024 at 10:28 am
Maggie F.
I made this recipe, and it was delicious. Instead of doing it in the slow cooker
I made it on the stove, browning the chicken first, then adding the rest of
the ingredients. I added half and half cream instead of evaporated milk.
I added it just in the last few minutes, heating only, not bringing to boil.
It worked great.
Reply
Erika says
February 2, 2024 at 6:45 pm
This was delicious. It tasted like something I would order at a restaurant. I will definitely be making this again.
Reply
- The Recipe Rebel says
  February 5, 2024 at 10:15 pm
  Great to hear! Thank you Erika!
  Reply
Steve k says
January 31, 2024 at 7:03 pm
Made this tonight and it was a huge hit!
Reply

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